An Olympic boxer today revealed his nightmare year after criminal proceedings left his career - and life - in tatters.

Bradley Saunders walked free from Teesside Crown Court this week, after blackmail charges against him were dropped.

The champion lightweight boxer today revealed how his life has been on hold for the last 13 months while criminal charges were held above his head, but now he aims to get back on top.

He said: “Leaving court I just felt unbelievable relief, like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

“I feel like I have been trying to hide something from people. I have had to put entire career on hold over this and then it was all just dropped.”

The 30-year-old has had to fly back and forth between Spain, where he lives with his fiancé Stephanie Elliot, 30, and nine-year-old son Layton, and the UK for court hearings.

“It has been a lot of stress on my family, all over something which has come to nothing.”

Boxer Bradley Saunders, partner Stephanie Elloitt and son Leyton

Bradley was arrested in October 2015 over the incident which was alleged to have taken place on May 2015.

He said: “I was handcuffed at the airport when I flew home, as soon as I got off the plane.”

The boxer was also initially charged with making threats to kill, which he denies.

“Yes I fight for a living, but I don’t fight like that, and I am not like that at all,” he said.

Bradley grew up in Sedgefield, County Durham, and went on to win a silver medal in the light welterweight division at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, gold at the 2009 EU Championships and bronze at the 2007 World Championships.

The fighter injured both his hands when he was sensationally disqualified against Renald Garrido in Liverpool after headbutting him during a bout.

He said: “I’ve been lying to fans on Facebook and Twitter telling them it’s my bad hands keeping me from playing, but they’ve been right for a while now.

“I am just hoping I can carry on with my career now, give it one last shot before the end of the year.”

Bradley Saunders, puts Ville Piispanen down at the Newcastle Arena

Bradley also runs a road maintenance company, BDS with his sister and said the court case has kept him away from the company at times.

He added: “I just want to get back into the ring and get some fights at home in North East, I’m looking forward to getting back to it.”

Ultimately Bradley says his career dream would be to coach the England boxing squad. “If I’d have had a conviction that would never be able to happen.”

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed that the case against Bradley was dropped after evidence which significantly undermined the prosecution’s case.

A CPS Spokesperson said: “In line with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, every prosecution case is kept under continuous review to ensure that there is a realistic prospect of conviction for the charges brought. On the day of this trial, further evidence was received which significantly undermined the prosecution case against the defendants.

“Appropriately, the CPS arranged for the case to be mentioned at court again so that we could formally offer no evidence against all three of the defendants; Robert Darby, Daniel Weegram and Bradley Saunders.”